Week 73

Hey everyone this week was another nice week. Lots of rain, but pretty eventful. So Friday we spent practically the whole day on the train due to a zone training in Mestre. It takes 3 hours each way in train and our zone training was really short. But it was nice we talked about the importance of bold invites. We cannot expect someone to see the importance of our invites if we don't make it seem important ourselves. We need to show these people we truly are devastated when they don't accept our invites and should be very happy when they follow our invites.

Saturday President Dibb came to Gorizia for interviews. They got to the church a little late, but it was nice to talk with him. We only get to have interviews with him usually once every three months, so every time he comes it is a pleasure to talk with him. I'm sad he finishes his mission two weeks before I do, and that I will have my last interview with a new mission president, but I'm excited for the last 5 months I have with President Dibb here.

Sunday a lot of members were sick, but we had a very nice sacrament meeting. We were able to visit G. and his grandchildren A. and J. were there. A. was very open with us and we were able to share a neat message with them. We also were able to see M. and got him to pray, which he hadn't done in front of other people for 10 years. We also saw P. and his friends, and P's desire to be baptized has really sky rocketed. He knows baptism is essential for his growth in the gospel

Monday and Tuesday I was in Udine for an exchange with Anziano C. He is in his 2nd transfer but is an awesome missionary. We went and gave service at a center for the handicapped and disabled. They truly are amazing people and we spent time sharing bible stories and playing games with them. Then we were able to visit some families in their branch to help spread the relationship of member/missionaries a little bit.

Today we went to Trieste to go to a cave called Grotta Gigante. It is a really nice cave that goes decently deep into the earth. The experience was awesome and even though no pictures came out well due to it being a cave it was awesome to go through something like that.

My mind has been thinking about the meaning of true sacrifice lately and how we truly do give up so much for our Heavenly Father. There are so many things we give up to follow him; substances/objects, time, jobs, relationships, temporary pleasures. Many people think we do it because we know that it is an advantage in the world to come or that we will receive certain blessings because we sacrificed that specific thing, and that is true. But even more important is that our sacrifice comes from our love and devotion to our Heavenly Father, and not just the promised blessings that follow. As a missionary I know I will be blessed for my sacrifice, and I know my family has been blessed for it, but I am also sacrificing my time because it's something I want to do for my Heavenly Father. In essence it isn't a sacrifice to me, but a pleasure. True sacrifice can be difficult but having the love for our Heavenly Father to do it, makes everything worth it.